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Thousands strong at Scotiabank Place on Sunday night, they chanted his name — Spezza! Spezza! Spezza ! — their white towels waving.

Being able to stand at centre ice once again wearing the red uniform with the gold centurion stitched in, it was in some ways overwhelming, but a big relief for Jason Spezza, a guy who really understands pain.

As Sunday night's game dragged on, thanks to a miraculous goal by Mr. Clutch, Daniel Alfredsson, with just 28.6 ticks left on the clock, Spezza grew more weary. Tied 1-1. One overtime, into a second. And then Colin Greening, blood dripping down his face, ended it.

The Senators find themselves down 2-1 in this series against Sid the Kid and his Penguins, when it could very well have been 3-0 with most of the nails driven into the coffin.

Craig Anderson, take a bow. You were awesome, a difference-maker. Erik Karlsson, you looked like the Erik Karlsson who scared the hell out of opposing teams a year ago, especially strong in your own end on this night.

Maybe it was too much, unfair, to ask Spezza be the Jason Spezza who kickstarted Ottawa's offence last season with 84 points. Geez, he's only been back on skates for three weeks.

“There's no better way to get back than jumping head first into the pool,” said Spezza, wearing a lopsided grin in the dressing room minutes after his team's 2-1 win.

Two weeks into this season, he was on the operating table. Think about it. Back surgery, sciatic pain. Ouch.

Spezza said there was no hesitation to sidetrack his season with surgery, not after playing half a season with agonizing back pain six years ago. Then, Spezza first felt pain in December, battled through it, hoping it would go away. It didn't. He had surgery in the summer of 2006.

“It got to the point where I couldn't go out to dinner with the guys, I'd eat standing up,” said Spezza. “I slept on the floor. I'd start on the bed and wind up on the floor. Those were pretty dark times.”

So when it happened this time, there was no hesitation.

“Toward the end of last year, I felt a bit of stuff,” said Spezza. “But it was manageable. I played over in Switzerland and it was manageable. For whatever reason, one or two games into the season, it flared up.

“I wasn't messing around with it. I took a cortisone shot and it didn't do anything. When you take a cortisone shot and it doesn't work, you know it's time for surgery.

“It was an instant relief. The nerve pain goes away almost instantly. Then there's a whole bunch of weakness that follows because they cut through the muscles. I knew what to expect. The surgeon warned me ahead of time that this might shut me down for the year. Fortunately for me, the team has played for so long and given me a chance to get back.”

He was supposed to be out 12 weeks. It's been 16.

“It's better than before I had surgery, but it's going to take awhile before I feel 100%,” said Spezza, who was cleared to play two days ago after three weeks of ramping up his hockey-related activities.

“At no point did I think that my year was over. Mentally, I had to keep feeling me like I could play,” said Spezza. “That's gotten me to where I was feeling better and could ramp up my rehab to the point where I can now play. It's not very fun being the first guy at the rink and the first guy to leave ... not being around the guys, not getting the stimulation of playing. The first time I went on the ice to shoot pucks, I felt like a kid again.”

Playing in Game 3 against Pittsburgh, doing what he knows so well, was where Spezza wanted to be. But it was a tough road to get there.

“Once you have back problems, they never really leave you,” he said. “It's kind of a daily grind. I've done exercises every day for the last six years. My wife doesn't like when I have to sit on the floor and stretch instead of sitting on the couch with her. I wouldn't wish back pain on my worst enemy.”

It was the usual routine for Spezza on Sunday morning. Awake at 6:30 with children Sophia, 3, and Nicola, 1. They might have noticed dad had a bit of jump in his step.

“The first, I'd say, six or seven weeks after surgery, I wasn't allowed to pick them up,” said Spezza. “That's tricky. You feel good after four or five weeks and you want to pick them up.”

And now, Daddy's back on the ice. Good news for wife Jennifer, the kids and Senators fans.

Four months after back surgery, Sens superstar Jason Spezza overcomes pain to rejoin team for Game 3

Thousands strong at Scotiabank Place Sunday night, they chanted his name -- Spezza, Spezza, Spezza -- their white towels waving.

Being able to stand at centre ice once again wearing the red uniform with the gold centurion stitched in -- it was in some ways overwhelming, but a big relief for Jason Spezza -- a guy who really understands pain.

Back in the Senators lineup nearly four months after surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back, Spezza. scuffled for position early in the game, mixing it up along the boards, trying to get the juices flowing, looking for his immense offensive instincts to kick in. With 3:27 left in the first period, he drew a slashing penalty by driving to the net.

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